CARETAKER Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor should provide proof of his claim that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim brought an Indonesian tycoon to Kedah for the purpose of applying to mine rare earth elements (REE).
Speaking at a ceramah in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said just as he had shown evidence purportedly linking Sanusi to suspects in the REE theft at the Bukit Enggang forest reserve in Sik, Sanusi should also produce evidence backing his claims.
This came after Sanusi had alleged on Tuesday (Aug 1) that Anwar had brought the oil tycoon to Kedah to seek approval to mine in an area that contains rare earth resources.
“He can prove it if he dares, either a photo or an application letter. I challenge Sanusi: Just as I have shown that you have written to the home minister (at the time Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin); I have the letter. You know (the suspect); I have the photo,” Saifuddin was reported as saying by Malaysiakini.
“He must show it: When did (the tycoon) ask for it? When did Anwar bring (the tycoon) to see you? Please do tell.”
Earlier this week Sanusi had alleged that Anwar had brought an Indonesian oil tycoon – whom he identified as prominent Indonesian investor Reza Chalid – to the state before the Parliament was dissolved last year for the purpose of applying to mine REE.
Saifuddin said that Anwar had dismissed Sanusi’s assertions as nonsense.
He also clarified that Anwar and the tycoon had come to Kedah to have an audience with the Kedah Ruler at Istana Anak Bukit.
“They went back after the audience,” he said.
Sanusi also had alleged that someone had called him before the state assembly was dissolved saying that the Indonesian tycoon would like to offer him hundreds of sacrificial cows.
“I recall that Pak Riza met various people to apply for REE mining land,” he had said at the ceramah on Monday night.
“Somebody contacted me, informing me that Pak Riza wanted to give hundreds of cows (for sacrifice), but I refused because it was close to the elections. I was afraid the cows may be considered a bribe,” he was reported as saying.
Sanusi stressed that he is open to any party possessing expertise applying for REE mining, provided that the applicants should use the right channels to bring returns to the Kedah state government and its people.
Previously, Sanusi had threatened to sue Saifuddin for linking him to the theft of REE in Sik. However, Saifuddin is standing by his claims and said he will make further revelations at a press conference today (Aug 3).
Saifuddin also told the audience that if Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional win the Kedah election, the new state government will work with the federal government’s Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) to come up with guidelines to mine REE and mobilise state-owned enterprises to exploit the resource for the benefit of the people.
Efforts to develop Malaysia’s REE resources started at least as early as 2021 under Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, which saw the formation of the National Mineral Council (MMN) and the adoption of the National Mineral Industry Transformation Plan 2020-2030.
The MMN was tasked with, among others, coming up with procedures for exploiting Non-Radioactive Rare Earth Elements (NR-REE). – Aug 3, 2023
